1. Technical Field
This invention relates to weather display systems and, more particularly, to a portable weather indicating device and method of displaying weather information thereon.
2. Background Art
Interest in weather-related events has dramatically increased during recent years with the advent of high-quality satellite and radar imaging systems, and their increased ability to accurately forecast future weather events. Hikers, bicyclists, campers, building contractors, and others are dependent on accurate weather forecasting and real-time weather information in planning and changing their outdoor activities. Currently, weather messages are continuously broadcasted through a special weather radio signal on the VHF band, ranging between 162.400 and 162.550 MHZ, which is outside the normal AM and FM broadcast bands. This special radio signal is provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Special weather radios must be used in order to receive these types of weather broadcasts. Weather messages are repeated every 4 to 6 minutes and are routinely updated every one to six hours, or more often when rapidly changing weather conditions are present. The weather broadcasts may also include severe weather warnings that pose a threat to life and safety.
Another type of weather warning system is provided by Data Transmission Network Corporation (DTN) of Omaha, Nebr. In this system, emergency weather information is sent directly to an alpha-numeric pager. Information such as weather watches, warnings and storm movement in a user's area, and local weather updates twice daily for an eight-county area, severe weather watches and warnings, dense fog advisories, winter storm watches and warnings, highway watches and warnings, freezing precipitation advisories, and avalanche bulletins are available in alpha-numeric format. In addition, an audible alarm may also be provided on the pager to signal certain weather events.
Although these systems provide severe weather warnings and local weather updates at recurring intervals, it is difficult for an end-user to determine his or her particular location with respect to weather events that may be occurring in surrounding areas without real-time or near real-time weather images. This difficulty is further augmented when the end-user is not sure of his or her geographical location. Without adequate resources to determine one's position with respect to storm paths or other weather events, many people may find themselves in difficult or even dangerous weather-related circumstances.